Capable of Solving Problems

C. Hiccup’s Personality Development

In the beginning, Hiccup is described as a useless boy. He is always being the weakest in the group. He does not seem suitable to become the next chief of the Tribe. As the story goes by, Hiccup has changed and become a useful boy. He gains p ositive personality’s characteristics. He becomes a Hero of Berk after he defeats two giant dragons and saves the village and villagers. His personality development will not happen without reasons. According to Hurlock 1974 , there are eight reasons that make a person’s personality changes. They are physical changes, changes in environment, changes in significant people, changes in social pressure, changes in role, strong motivation, changes in self-concept, and the use of psychotherapy. However, from those eight reasons the writer only found one reason that makes Hiccup’s personalities change. The reason is changes in social pressure. Hiccup is the smallest boy in the group, but he has the greatest responsibility that awaits him in the future. He will become the next chief to replace his father. Therefore, he has to gain his reputation as soon as possible so he will be acknowledged by the villagers. From an early age, Hiccup has to control his action because it will be judged by the villagers. Consequently, Hiccup tends to do something that he thinks good and acceptable in society. Hurlock 1974 said that child is very aware of some personalities that are admired p. 126. In the Viking, the most favorable personalities are brave, confidence, and a fighter. From the physical appearance, the most favorable are masculine, big arms, and tall. [Excerpt 34] “For a start, he didnt LOOK like a Hero Hiccup. Somebody like Snotlout, for instance, was tall, muscley, covered in skeleton, tattoos, and already had the beginnings of a small moustache.” p.15 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI Contrary, Hiccup does not have all the qualifications. Hiccup also has been bullied by his friends because he is different. The author wrote that “Hiccup was just absolutely average, the kind of unremarkable, skinny, freckled boy who was easy to overlook in a crowd.” p. 16. It indicates that Hiccup is a very different boy who is expected to be a Hero of Berk that has the qualifications like Snotloud. Therefore, he has some negative characteristics. Those characteristics belong to phlegmatic personality. The characteristics are worried and nervous, stay uninvolved, and unenthusiastic. Those characteristics emerge many times in the novel which makes phlegmatic is the dominant personality. [Excerpt 35] Hiccup and Fishlegs were the last to be tied on, just behind a flushed and triumphant Dogsbreath. Oh, brilliant, muttered Fishlegs. Im about to enter a cave full of man-eating reptiles tied up to eight complete maniacs. If we. get to the cave ... said Hiccup nervously, looking up at the sheer black cliff. It was a perilous climb. The rocks were slippery with snow and the other boys were thoroughly overexcited, making the ascent far too quickly. p.18 That is an example of Hiccup being worried and fearful. The author describes Hiccup being worried and scared when he is going to climb and then enter the dragon’s cave. In comparison, the other boys, except Fishlegs, seem to enjoy the test. Here is the example of Hiccup that stay uninvolved in some events : [Excerpt 36] The boys were hanging about the village gates, taking the opportunity to show off the dragons that they had caught. Hiccup had tried to walk through without being noticed, but Snotlout had stopped him. Lets see what pathetic creature Hiccup has got, said Snotlout, and took off the lid. p.47 PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI Hiccup tries to avoid socializing with his friends because he knows that he will be bullied. He cannot catch a great dragon in the cave so when the other boys show off their dragons, Hiccup prefers to avoid the conversation than being bullied because of his dragon. Moreover, the last example is Hiccu p’s unenthusiastic characteristic. [Excerpt 37] Well, said Hiccup at last, thats a sign, if you like. You reach for a Deadly Nadder and what do you get? A Basic Brown. I grab a dragon in the dark and what do I get? A Common or Garden. The thing is, the gods are telling us were Common or Garden folk, Fishlegs. You and I, were not meant to be Heroes. ”. p.45 Hiccup seems so unenthusiastic by telling that God tells them just a common folks and it is impossible to become a hero. Hiccup is full of negativity. He becomes unenthusiastic because he cannot find the great and scary-looking dragons. He wishes that he can have a deadly nadder type but he only gets the common garden dragon. A common garden dragon is a very easy type to train. They are usually trained to be helpers not to be fighters. Hiccup, as the heir of the chieftain, should have a scary-looking dragon so he will gain his reputation but he does not have it. A common garden dragon makes Hiccup unenthusiastic about trying to be a Hero of Berk. As the writer mentioned above, a child is aware whether some personality characteristics are admired and some are not. It also happens to Hiccup. He is aware that he himself has characteristics that are not admired by other people. Hiccup has a hard time to accept himself the way he is when the social pressure and demand is very heavy and high. He becomes too introspective about himself because he feels that he cannot fulfill the expectation of other people. Too introspective is the PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI characteristic in melancholic type. Hiccup shows some m elancholic’s introspective characteristic in the story but not as many as phlegmatic’ characteristics. [Excerpt 38] How am I going to persuade anybody to do anything? asked Hiccup. Theyve started calling me HICCUP THE USELESS. That is not a great name for a Military Leader p.65. He knows that he is called useless so many times. He feels that he fails to become the next chief because of other people start to call him Hiccup the Useless. Therefore, he is still responsible to his social status as the heir of the chieftain. It shows that he still considers his name as the military leader. He still wants to be accepted as the official member of the Hairy Hooligan Tribe to fulfill the social pressure from others. Hurlock 1974 said that “everyone normally has a strong desire to be accepted by those who are significant to him, then they will change their personality so they can be accepted.” p. 126. Moreover, Hiccup in this part shows some changes. The change is from an unenthusiastic boy change into a serious and purposeful boy. [Excerpt 39] It cant get much worse than this, said Hiccup, so Im going to try a new tack. He took out the notebook in which he had been jotting down all he knew about dragons in the hope that it might be useful. DRAGON MOTIVATION.” p. 93 Now, he becomes serious about his role in the society. Rather than giving up in the situation he tries to fix the situation. By training his dragon to be the best in the initiation so he able to past the tests then he will become the official member of the tribe. He starts accepting his flaws and thinks about something that he can do based on his ability. When he fails to train his dragon by yelling, he thinks about PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI another way that suitable with his skills and effective to tame his dragon. He finds a way that he that is called as a dr agon’s motivation. He will try those motivations one by one to find the more effective ways to train his dragon. Introspective, serious, and purposeful sides are the characteristics of melancholic type. It is the second dominant personality since the characteristics appear more than three times in the story. Hiccup also has the third dominant personality which is choleric. Hiccup shows his desire more than one time that he really needs a change in his social status. Hiccup seems more enthusiastic than before. He becomes so positive and it makes him feels an urge to change in his social status so desperately. Unfortunately, he fails the final test because the dragons are fighting. He is disappointed because all he wants to become the official member of the tribe is now impossible. [Excerpt 40] JUST ONCE, yelled Hiccup. Why couldnt you let me be a Hero JUST ONCE? I didnt want anything amazing, just to pass this STUPID TEST so I could become a proper Viking like everybody else. Thors thunder boomed and crackled above him blackly. p.126 He is angry because after he tries everything he still fails in the test. He seems very disappointed with the result because he yells at Thor for the first time. Hiccup’s spirit starts to diminish but he is still responsible. After failing at the test, the boys will be banished the day after because there is a storm coming. The storm bought two giant dragons to Berk. The elder and the villagers gather at the great hall to discuss on how to make one of the dragons leave from Berk. They come up with a plan to yell at the giant dragon but it does not work. Then, they ask Hiccup PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI